The present invention relates to illuminated signs, and more particularly to a sign of this nature which has the appearance of a neon sign.
Neon signs have been widely used over the years and apparently were originally developed by the French chemist Georges Claude in the early 1900's. These signs became immensely popular in the United States but after World War II, Plexiglas signs became popular and the interest in neon sign waned. However, in recent years their popularity has again increased for use as advertising signs, point of purchase displays and, not insignificantly, for decor, architectural accent and art objects.
While neon signs and graphics can produce relatively brilliant light of numerous colors, they are expensive to produce. Various attempts have been made to produce simulated neon displays Examples are U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,146 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,283. The former shows a point of purchase display device made of generally transparent material having raised portions forming a predetermined pattern. Areas other than the pattern are painted black, and light shines through the transparent pattern portion to give the general visual effect of a neon sign. The latter U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,283 includes a printed pattern simulating a neon tube or tubes which is backlit to provide the display. Other examples of illuminated displays or advertising signs are found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,599, 2,062,887, 2,362,157 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,486,859 which show various forms of either back or front lit letters providing displays. While some of these sign and display devices have found acceptance, they do not have an appearance sufficiently like a neon sign to convey the neon sign impression. Additionally, some suffer from the disadvantages of not providing a sufficient range of colors, not having the clear tubular appearance of neon, not being sufficiently bright, and having a rather flat appearance.
According to the present invention, on the other hand, there is provided an improved form of sign which provides a more realistic simulation of a typical neon sign. It does not have the complexity or cost of a neon sign, but has the basic appearance of a neon sign and, while not as bright as neon, comes close to simulating the usual neon sign.